Cable-tramway grip



(No Model.)

A. ROSENHOLZ. CABLE TRAMWAY GRIP.

No. 495,374. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

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OF WARDNER, IDAHO.

CABLE-TRAMWAY GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,374, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed July 21, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALFRED ROSENHOLZ, of

Wardner, county of Shoshone, and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Tramway Grips, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved conveyer and grip for a cable tram-way, in which the load is carried upon a stationary cable and is gripped to a parallel moving cable. Devices of this kind are adapted for the conveying of heavy loads, and by ordinary methods the bearing parts of the grip become worn and ineificient.

By my device I produceagrip upon a conveyer whose hold is proportional to the weight which the conveyer carries, and whose bearing parts are forced directly together with equal strain as long as they can be used, thereby preventing their becoming defective or inoperative through use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stationary cable, the moving cable, and the grip inposition thereon, showing the grip in the clutched position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, taken from the opposite side of the conveyor and showing the grip about to be automatically unclutched. Fig. 3 is a detail view of an auxiliary clamp for guiding the moving cable into the jaws of the grip before it is loaded for operation.

Referring to the figures on the drawings, 1 is a fixed cable which is stretched taut be-' tween the supports of any suitable kind, not

necessary to illustrate.

2 indicates a parallel cable adapted to be kept in motion by a suitable power not necessary to illustrate.

3 indicates a conveyer or car, which may consist of a frame piece 4, made in suitable shape, for example as illustrated, and provided with a cross piece 5 and hooks 6 for suspending a load 7. Any suitable form of conveyer may be substituted for that illustrated.

8 indicates a vertically movable rod confined Within fixed bearings 9 in the upper part of the frame and upon the cross piece, respectively. The rod is preferably slotted at its lower end to fit the bearing upon the cross piece; but that is a matter of mechanical construction which may be varied at pleasure. Pivoted to the upper part of the rod is a trolley frame 11 that carries, preferably,on opposite ends, trolleys 12, which are grooved to fit the cable 1 upon which they travel. Upon the cross piece 5 is secured a fixed jaw 13, above which, in a suitable case 14, reciprocates a movable jaw 15. The movable jaw is adapted to be pressed against the face of the fixed jaw, and to grip between them the moving cable 2. Thejaws are preferably grooved to fit the moving cable. They are made of any suitable material, such for instance as brass, Babbitt metal, fiber, wood, or any material adapted for the purpose.

16 indicates an auxiliary clamp, which is pivoted to the end of the fixed jaw, as indicated in Fig. 3, and which is adapted to guide the moving cable into-the groove in the jaw in first setting the conveyor in motion. The movable jaw is preferably vertically slotted, as indicated at 18, to receive a guide-bolt 19, that, for the sake of lending strength to the parts, passes completely through the jaw case, the cross piece, and the bearing plate 20 on the back of the cross piece. It serves the purpose of assisting in guiding the movable jaw. The movable jaw is operatively connected with the vertically movable rod 8, preferably by means of a toggle joint, preferably consisting of transverse arms 21, pivoted near one end within the jaw case, and of the oblique arms 22 pivoted to the vertically movable rod and to the outer ends of the transverse arms, substantially as illustrated. The ends of the transverse arms within the jaw case are connected with the jaw to impart motion to it.

At the top of the conveyor frame, preferably upon the side opposite to the trolley frame,upon a stud 23, is carried a loose grooved pulley 24.

25 indicates a release stationl will call it-illustrated diagrammatically in the tramway, which consists preferably of upper and lower tracks 26 and 27, located so as to engage, respectively, with the loose pulley 24 and the trolleys. As the loose pulley passes upon its release track the entire Weight of the load is suspended directly upon the conveyer frame, while the trolleys being relieved of their burden are pressed downwardly, thereby operating the vertically movable rod 8 and raising the movable jaw to release the moving cable, and brings the conveyer to a stand-still. The release tracks may be provided at the termini of the tram-way, or at intermediate stations where it is desirable to load or unload the. conveyer.

' 28 indicates a relief screw for preventing unnecessary application of power upon the grip, the screw being adjustable so as to limit the movement of the toggle levers.

The operation of my device is as follows: Suppose the'conveyer to be upon the release tracks, as indicated at Fig. 2 of the drawings, the trolleys to be in position upon the fixed cable, and the moving cable to be passing freely between the open jaws and the load to be in position, as illustrated. The auxiliary clamp 16 is thrown into engagement with the moving cable, and is held against it by the hand of the operator until the conveyer is moved off of the release tracks, when the weight of the load is shifted to the trolleys, thereby operating the grip and setting the conveyor in motion. Thereupon the auxiliary clamp may be released and the conveyer allowed to perform its office without further attention.

It will be observed that when the grip of the conveyer is operated by the load, the force of the grip upon the moving cable will be proportionate to the weight of the load, since that acts directly upon a system of levers to urge the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw.

What I claim is- 1. In a cable tram-way conveyer, the combination with the conveyer frame, of a trolley frame movably carried thereon and adapted to travel upon a cable, a pair of jaws adapted to engage with the moving cable, one of the jaws being movable, and mechanism connect ing the trolley frame with the movable jaw,

whereby motion is communicated to the mov- 5 able jaw to grip the moving cable, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a cable tramway conveyer, the combination with a frame, and a movable suspending trolley, of gripping jaws, a toggle lever and mechanism for automatically operating the levers to close the jaws by weight upon the frame, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a frame and movable rod carrying trolleys, of gripping jaws upon the frame, one of the jaws being movable, and a toggle joint connecting the movable rod with the movable jaw, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with the frame, of the movable rod and trolleys, gripping jaws and toggle joint, and a pulley adapted to ride upon a fixed track and shift the load on the frame from the trolleys to the pulley, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

. 5. The combination with a fixed cable and a moving cable, of a frame provided with gripping jaws adapted to grip the moving cable, movable trolleys adapted to ride the fixed cable, mechanism connecting the movable trolleys with the gripping jaws to operate the latter by weight upon the frame, a relief track in proximity to the fixed cable, and a relief pulley upon the frame adapted to ride upon the relief track and shift the load from the trolleys, for the purpose of operating the gripping jaws to release the moving cable, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination with a fixed and moving cable of a frame, trolleys movably connected therewith, gripping jaws adapted to engage the moving cable, mechanism connecting the trolleys with the gripping jaws to operate them, a relief pulley, and opposite converging relief tracks adapted to engage with the trolleys and the relief pulley to urge them toward each other to open the gripping jaws, substantially as and for the purpose specified. In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALFRED ROSENH'OLZ.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. COHEN, J NO. M. LONG. 

